This was the third session of the Food Preservation workshop held by the Richmond Food Security Society. The instructor for this workshop is Chef Ian Lai from the Terra Nova Schoolyard Society, a community based project that teaches kids about organic gardening and food appreciation.

We had some freshly picked beans from the Terra Nova Sharing Farm. There were green, yellow and even some purple beans.

Ingredients

• About 2 pounds of beans
• 2 1/2 cups pure white vinegar or pickling vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon pickling spice
• fennel seeds

The difference between the Pure White Vinegar and the Pickling Vinegar is that the pickling vinegar has a slightly higher acidity like 7% while the pure white vinegar is about 5%. Ian commented that he only used pure white vinegar for pickling or cleaning.

As a chef, Ian preferred Kocher salt which has a coarser texture where he can feel and see the salt.

Pickling spices can be purchased from the bulk sections of many groceries stores.

These fennel seeds are from the Terra Nova Sharing Farm too. They are used to flavour the pickled beans.

Source: Ian Lai

Yields 10 to 12 x 250ml jars or 5 to 6 x 500ml jars

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